The Visit

In an industry where everything seems to be trending towards the more complex – faster, louder, overhyped, overproduced – it takes an act of understated beauty to remind us what makes something truly memorable. The Visit takes this concept and runs with it. Hailing from Ottawa, Canada, The Visit consists solely of singer Heather Sita Black and cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne, who display stunning chemistry on their debut release, “Between Worlds.” Though containing only a single fourteen-minute song, it is, quite frankly, a tremendous opening statement from the duo. The piece traverses a number of peaks as it builds from a chamber-style lament to a progressive juggernaut and back with breathtaking ease.

In recent years, electric cello has begun to surface as a viable lead instrument in avant-garde music; albums such as Agalloch’s Marrow of the Spirit and The Red Paintings’ Walls come to mind as having featured and benefitted from the haunting playing of Jackie Perez-Gratz and Wayne Jennings, respectively. Here, however, the burden of carrying all instrumental melodic and rhythmic aspects of “Between Worlds” falls squarely on Weinroth-Browne’s shoulders, and his creative arrangements are more than up to the task. Over the course of “Between Worlds,” his playing features double-stop chords, throaty bass picking, mellifluous staccato runs, and indescribable bowed/picked combinations woven together with rare virtuosity. His lyrical playing style allows him to carry the song for minutes at a time, but it’s when his vocalist joins in that “Between Worlds” really takes off.

From what I can tell, the entirety of Black’s singing is in non-lexical vocables – sounds meant to be sung, but which carry no specific meaning. Still, her contralto vocalizations carry a distinctly Arabic feel, partially due to Black’s use of scales containing a major second interval and partially because their timber brings to mind works such as those of renowned Raï singer Cheb Mami. A number of times, she invokes a descending back-beat motif, which serves as both a chorus of sorts and the climax of the song; without lyrics to hold onto, her variance between plaintive mantras and vibrant vibrato lines gives each section of the song new character. Of course, comparables for this sort of music are hard to come by. The band cites a combination of progressive metal, chamber music, world music, and avant-garde styles as their basis, and few artists cover such wide stylistic ground. In the realm of progressive metal, in particular, the violin of Ne Obliviscaris’ Tim Charles might be the best starting point.

Listening to the incendiary rising action between nine and twelve minutes into the song, one has to wonder whether The Visit has even scratched the surface of their potential as they begin to leave footprints in the snow of a path all their own. As “Between Worlds” concludes with ghostly singing and sparse cello notes, seeming as though it has traversed several of those titular worlds and come full-circle to where it began, the future seems both wide open and extremely bright for this young duo. For anyone remotely interested in up-and-coming progressive or neo-classical artists, The Visit is very close to essential listening. - Sputnikmusic

In an industry where everything seems to be trending towards the more complex – faster, louder, overhyped, overproduced – it takes an act of understated beauty to remind us what makes something truly memorable. The Visit takes this concept and runs with it. Hailing from Ottawa, Canada, The Visit consists solely of singer Heather Sita Black and cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne, who display stunning chemistry on their debut release, “Between Worlds.” Though containing only a single fourteen-minute song, it is, quite frankly, a tremendous opening statement from the duo. The piece traverses a number of peaks as it builds from a chamber-style lament to a progressive juggernaut and back with breathtaking ease.

In recent years, electric cello has begun to surface as a viable lead instrument in avant-garde music; albums such as Agalloch’s Marrow of the Spirit and The Red Paintings’ Walls come to mind as having featured and benefitted from the haunting playing of Jackie Perez-Gratz and Wayne Jennings, respectively. Here, however, the burden of carrying all instrumental melodicand rhythmic aspects of “Between Worlds” falls squarely on Weinroth-Browne’s shoulders, and his creative arrangements are more than up to the task. Over the course of “Between Worlds,” his playing features double-stop chords, throaty bass picking, mellifluous staccato runs, and indescribable bowed/picked combinations woven together with rare virtuosity. His lyrical playing style allows him to carry the song for minutes at a time, but it’s when his vocalist joins in that “Between Worlds” really takes off.

From what I can tell, the entirety of Black’s singing is in non-lexical vocables – sounds meant to be sung, but which carry no specific meaning. Still, her contralto vocalizations carry a distinctly Arabic feel, partially due to Black’s use of scales containing a major second interval and partially because their timber brings to mind works such as those of renowned Raï singer Cheb Mami. A number of times, she invokes a descending back-beat motif, which serves as both a chorus of sorts and the climax of the song; without lyrics to hold onto, her variance between plaintive mantras and vibrant vibrato lines gives each section of the song new character. Of course, comparables for this sort of music are hard to come by. The band cites a combination of progressive metal, chamber music, world music, and avant-garde styles as their basis, and few artists cover such wide stylistic ground. In the realm of progressive metal, in particular, the violin of Ne Obliviscaris’ Tim Charles might be the best starting point.

Listening to the incendiary rising action between nine and twelve minutes into the song, one has to wonder whether The Visit has even scratched the surface of their capabilities as they begin to leave footprints in the snow of a path all their own. As “Between Worlds” concludes with ghostly singing and sparse cello notes, seeming as though it has traversed several of those titular worlds and come full-circle to where it began, the future seems both wide open and extremely bright for this young duo. For anyone remotely interested in up-and-coming progressive or neo-classical artists, The Visit is very close to essential listening. - Muzik Discovery

Wrenching vocal lines emerge from swirling layers of haunting cellisms, where they meet in a whirlwind that’s part metal, part Bach, part qawaali, and countless other multitudes. In this way, “Between Worlds,” an introspective composition by the cello-and-voice duo The Visit, really does take us through the montage of history and an deftly shatters borders all along the cultural spectrum. Through the frenzied wall of sound, the voice at times emerges like an ecstatic griot, recounting an ancient folk legend to an enraptured audience. At others, cello lines laced with heavy distortion strike like electric power chords, bringing an appreciative smile to the lips of the most diehard metalhead. As primordial as it is turbo-charged, “Between Worlds” is a virtuosic tribute to our vast lineage which invites listeners to contemplate our turbulent beginnings through a 21st-century perspective.

Take a listen. Enjoy.

The Visit is vocalist Heather Sita Black and cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne. “Between Worlds” is their most recent track released to the digital universe, to be enjoyed by listeners who hopefully reside in the real world. - Musique Montreal

We’re always excited to find new artists in town making new music, and one group that has recently caught our attention is The Visit. This duo consists of an incredibly proficient cellist, Raphael Weinroth-Browne, and a skilled vocalist, Heather Sita Black. The pairing use a self-described “musical dialogue that transcends genres and idioms, reconciling soulful lamentations with aggressive, complex rhythms, and maintaining a balance between improvisation and structure.”
Their new track called “Between Worlds” is a fourteen and a half-minute long epic journey. The journey begins softly and with grace, as Raphael’s cello bellows long and restrained notes. However, before the two-minute mark, he proceeds to dominate the fingerboard much more vigorously and demonstrates why The Visit are a force to be reckoned with. Once Heather’s haunting and disarming vocals start, the rest of the song is a back and forth battle between the two. There are moments of intensity and grandiosity that would stir any listener. There are also moments of calm and sorrow. But the alluring quest from beginning to end ultimately seduces us and leaves us wanting. This push-and-pull dynamic is tumultuous, to say the least.
The Visit describe their music as “a convergence of visceral and intellectual forms of musical expression. Progressive metal, middle eastern music, and dark contemporary classical music are among the varied and seemingly disparate roots of our sound.“
I spoke to Raphael and Heather about their roles as artists in The Visit, and how their music draws meaning from certain real-world inspirations.
Raphael:
The cello has definitely become a point of great interest for me; I see that it has many sonic and technical possibilities that are not usually exploited. There are so many emotional landscapes that can be produced by the instrument without the use of external effects. I have found a great wealth of new ideas by returning the cello in very unusual ways and seeing it as an instrument capable of playing numerous lines simultaneously, or even occasionally sounding orchestral. I particularly enjoy using it to replicate the complex rhythms and aggression of modern metal that are such an important part of my musical personality. A large part of what we are doing in The Visit is redefining expectations of what heavy music should be. I believe that heaviness is not defined by instrumentation or context as much as energy and composition. Overall, my style as a creator of music combines emotional weight and inner darkness as well as cinematic depictions of landscapes and epochs.
Heather:
With The Visit, I am able to draw upon a deeper artistic voice, one that calls upon my own personal journey in life as well as from what I see happening in the outer world. Despair, sorrow, suffering, pain, anger, rage, insecurity and shame. Connection, strength, power, aliveness, fertility, creativity, passion, compassion, love… life and death, it all comes together here. Inspired by Raphael’s compositions, I am free to express anything that arises, the urge to merge with the music, to become the music, the desire to share these experiences and emotions and to (hopefully) have others uncover emotional landscapes within themselves. - Ottawa Showbox

The Visit is the new band from Cholera mastermind, Raphael Weinroth-Browne. As some of you may know, in Cholera Raph plays a variety of instruments (Vocals, Guitars, Drums, Cello, Oud, Saz) to capture their unique progressive death metal sound, although, The Visit, makes use of just one instrument, but the results are just as powerful.

"The Visit, comprised of Raphael Weinroth-Browne (cello) and Heather Sita Black (voice) is a musical dialogue that transcends genres and idioms, reconciling soulful lamentations with aggressive, complex rhythms, and maintaining a balance between improvisation and structure. The duo’s burgeoning sound is characterized by long, tumultuous compositions reminiscent of another era, which nonetheless exude an undeniable sense of relevance and urgency."

Making use of just a cello as the sole instrument paired with Heather's stunning vocals, The Visit, delivers a long composition of stunning neo classical styled music. If you're into artists, such as; Dead Can Dance, Dark Sanctuary, Elend, Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, Ashram, Matt Howden, (and many others), I'm quite sure you'll find something to love about this project. - Lunar Hypnosis

Between Worlds by The Visit

Canadian class
At last we have some sophistication. “Between Worlds” is an extended musical mediation between a cello and a wordless female voice and its bleak elegance is a credit to the skills of Canadian duo The Visit. It is the perfect soundtrack for those times when the Devil has called you by name.
Review date: Jan 25 2014
Website: thevisit1.bandcamp.com - Bluesbunny

The Visit is Heather Sita Black, a vocalist unchained, and Raphael Weinroth-Browne, a powerful cellist. Together they form a self-described defiance of genre, so terms like chamber or polystylistic don’t really fit the bill. The closest long-winded definition might be experimental/avant-garde classical. The Ottawa duo have released two recordings so far and will be making their way to the Czech Republic in November for Nouvelle Prague, a international showcasing event of art from around the world. They’ve decided to share what they’ve been working on up to this point with their first video.

Nation’s capital music blog Something Always interviewed The Visit in March, in which they spoke hopefully of getting to Europe this year and to put out an album by 2015. We are glad to see that it appears that things are going the way they planned.

This expertly shot video in St. Alban’s Church was filmed in February by LOG Creative Bureau. An 11-minute foray into the untapped human voice and the complexity of a cello. The first two minutes are Raphael giving his entire body to his instrument, with his breathing as powerful as a musk ox in rut, and then to the vocalization of Heather’s attempt to explore how far her voice can take her into a song. She has perfect pitch and a seemingly intimate knowledge of her partner’s capabilities, but her body movements betray what’s really going on here — she is not making use of her voice, her voice is making use of her. The music possesses.

I’d rather not say too much about it, for fear of cheapening it. It’s beautiful and emotional. Have I already said too much? Res ipsa loquitor — the thing speaks for itself. - Ottawa Showbox